Mass Psychology, Social Psychology, and the Politics of Mussolini

Abstract

The reader of early 20th century authors on social psychology and related fields almost inevitably will be struck by their prophetic claims in the area of politics. The question thus arises about the possible impact these authors have exerted on politicians, which could explain how at least some of their predictions became self- fulfilling prophecies. Of course, such a question never will receive a definite and exhaustive answer. Political events are part of complex dynamics that do not necessarily always result from previous developments in the world of ideas, although such developments do accompany and even sometimes mold important political changes. The impact of Marx’s ideas is an obvious illustration of the causal role ideas can exert in politics. In the same way, sociopsychological ideas, that is, ideas bearing on the links between individual action and social dynamics, probably have been influential in shaping the behavior of important political figures. I shall try to support this thesis by demonstrating that Mussolini, in order to orient and to understand his own political action, did have recourse to psychosociological ideas as developed by three different authors. Two of these authors, Le Bon and Sorel, are well known and they are often mentioned for their influence on Mussolini; another author, Orano, is practically unknown outside Italy although he wrote one of the first books that bears the title of “social psychology.” Later he became directly involved in fascism as a founder of the fascist movement, a coeditor of the Roman edition of II Popolo d’Italia (Mussolini’s newspaper), a regular contributor to Gerarchia (a cultural review also founded by Mussolini), and a member of the Italian parliment.